I was born in Poonch (Kashmir) and now I live in Norway. I oppose war and violence and am a firm believer in the peaceful co-existence of all nations and peoples. In my academic work I have tried to espouse the cause of the weak and the oppressed in a world dominated by power politics, misleading propaganda and violations of basic human rights. I also believe that all conscious members of society have a moral duty to stand for and further the cause of peace and human rights throughout the world.

Monday, June 10, 2013

US calls for UN Rapporteur resignation over Israel criticism

America’s representative to the UN Human Rights Council, Eileen
Chamberlain Donahoe, has called for the resignation of the United
Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian
territories, media reports said on Monday. Donahoe’s demand was made
after Richard Falk called for an investigation into the Geneva-based NGO
UN Watch to ensure that it is not controlled by Israel.

Falk, who is very critical of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian
territories, accuses UN Watch of “demeaning and defaming” his character,
and damaging the “credibility, effectiveness and substantive intention”
of his mandate. “This is to divert attention from the message and
shifts public interest away,” he said.

The Special Rapporteur’s latest report about the Palestinian
territories says that Israel continues to annex Palestinian territory
and persists in demolishing Palestinians’ homes and populating Palestine
with Israeli citizens.

“Israel [also] maintains a policy of collectively punishing 1.75
million Palestinians through its imposition of a blockade on the Gaza
Strip,” wrote Falk. “And Israel prosecutes its occupation with impunity,
refusing to accept the world’s calls to respect international law.”

The professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University
calls in his report for a boycott of companies conducting business with
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Donahoe denounced Falk’s report: “His views and behaviour, both
official and unofficial, are offensive and provocative and do nothing to
advance peace in the Middle East or to further the protection and
promotion of human rights. We again call for his resignation.”